When Tiffani Cannon met Jeanelle Crouch, it changed her life, not only giving her a new hairstyle and stylist, but also a new best friend.\n"I sat in (Crouch's) chair and she demonstrated expertise by making a recommendation at my first visit," she said. "The trust level bond formed immediately."\nTraditionally, barbers and stylists have the knowledge of a newscaster and acquire more gossip than a Yenta. They know everything from the hot topics of the day to the personal lives of their patrons. \n"A barbershop is a place where people can come and find out anything," said Jay Thompson, owner of Hoosier Barber Shop, 2534 E. 10th St. "We know everything. We meet a wide range of people. That's what's so great about being a barber; we talk about everything in here." \nIn popular culture, a barbershop is seen as a social hangout where people of all ages gather together to discuss current events and share life stories. While the culture of barbershops is changing, and Thompson said people are generally too busy to hang out, he's still glad to offer a comfortable environment and to lend an understanding ear. \nCannon, who's been visiting Hoosier Barber for a year and a half, said it's easy to make friends there and everyone knows each other.\n"For African Americans, when they settle into a city, the first thing they find is a church and a barbershop," Cannon said. "They know they can meet other people and form relations."\nWith a wide range of customers, of people from all walks of life, Thompson said he enjoys getting to know his customers.\n"I meet everyone here, from crack-heads to congressmen because everybody's welcome here," he said with a laugh.\nThompson said he knows most of his clients and their families by name because they come in every week. \n"I meet them, know what's going on. They come and they talk," he said. "Barbers are the center of their lives. They share things with you; they ask you advice and opinions."\nBarber Duane White of Hoosier Barber agreed there's nothing he'd rather do than cut hair. Coming from a family of barbers, White said he knew he'd carry on the family profession.\n"I'm a people person, I love communicating with people," White said. "I never know who's going to sit in my chair. Life is about relationships with people, I build as many as I can."
Personal Shrink\nSitting in Crouch's salon chair in the back room of Hoosier Barber, Cannon said she needed a counselor when Crouch convinced her to change her hairstyle.\nCrouch said customers trust barbers and stylists because while they're sitting in the chair, they have little control over what's going on, and they have the opportunity to do nothing but sit there.\n"To sit in a chair and be able to do nothing requires you to think about the day and life, and to have somebody work so closely to you puts you in a vulnerable position," she said holding a curling iron in Cannon's hair. "(There's) not a lot of control to what happens, the trust level comes quickly, if it's done well."\nHis shop has, what Thompson calls, an "old-style feel." The shop has two barber's chairs and a back room that serves as a beauty salon. Pictures of hairstyles and a poster of the movie "Barbershop," Hollywood's tribute to the barbershop culture, adorn the walls. The shop also offers chess and checkers to patrons waiting to get their hair cut.\n"Dads and sons take a minute to play a game," Thompson said as a six-year-old girl sat nearby playing with Barbies. "Life is so busy, you can't beat that. It's something your kids remember."\nThompson said although people don't really come in to just hang out, he loves the atmosphere at his shop. White agreed.\n"I love the atmosphere, the college atmosphere," he said. "The people who come in here are on a mission; they have goals and are achieving their goals."
Who's your barber?\nThompson opened Hoosier Barber two years ago, because, as he said, people always need a good barbershop. He said because the local barbershop business is dying, it's hard for people to find a good barber. However, he said his business is excellent. \n"(We're) the center of people's lives," he said. "(Students) starting school (need to) find a barbershop, and people stick with us."\nThompson said most people find out about his shop through word-of-mouth, or when driving by his prime location at 10th and the Bypass.\n"When you get a good service, you want to tell someone about it," he said. "People who walk out happy are going to tell a friend."\nThompson, who has been a barber for 13 years, opened the shop as a place where anyone can come in.\n"If you have hair, we can cut it!" he said.\nThompson said unfortunately the barbershop business is dying because people don't want to be barbers -- the job doesn't offer health insurance or retirement benefits. Regardless, Thompson said business is excellent, and he, White and Crouch love their jobs.\nAfter recognizing that women needed a place to get their haircuts too, Thompson opened the beauty shop in the back. Crouch, who's been a stylist for six years, said she loves working at Hoosier Barber because it's a fun environment and she gets the best of both worlds.\n"I get to work, I love what I do and I get a guy's perspective," she said. "Stylists cut hair totally differently from a barber, it's entertaining for the two to be together."
Giving back to the community\nNot only do the barbers discuss current events on the inside, but with a sign outside that reads "Go IU, I like Mike," they're trying to spread their opinions to the outside community.\n"We're trying to start some type of grassroots thing to support (Mike) Davis and the IU (basketball) team," he said. "Anyone can take a negative approach. We're taking a positive approach and standing behind someone who's not doing great." \nBecause of the interaction with the customers and the old-style feel, there's nothing Thompson and White would rather be than barbers. They love the interaction with their customers. They love watching their customers play chess or checkers. And they love the sheer joy of knowing they've made someone happy.\n"My mom pushed me to become a barber because even in the Great Depression, barbers still survived because no matter how (bad things are), a good haircut will make you feel better," he said. "It's great, I'm glad I listened."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Stephanie \nSusman at ssusman@indiana.edu.
